McKnight won't be able to play for Vols

McKnight won't be able to play for Vols

<p>The Southeastern Conference denied former Florida Gulf Coast forward Eric McKnight's bid to play for Tennessee as a graduate transfer this season on Tuesday.</p>

Knoxville, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - The Southeastern Conference denied former Florida Gulf Coast forward Eric McKnight's bid to play for Tennessee as a graduate transfer this season on Tuesday.

The school had announced in May that McKnight planned on playing for the Volunteers in his final year of eligibility during the upcoming season.

"We have been informed that Eric McKnight has been denied the graduate transfer waiver by the SEC. We pursued this issue through the proper protocol, and I respect the process. Although we are disappointed that Eric will not be joining our program, we are focused on moving forward," Tennessee head coach Donnie Tyndall said in a statement.

The 6-foot-9 McKnight averaged 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game for Florida Gulf Coast last season.